Barnes and Noble

I love coming here every weekend. I love looking at all the YA books, hunting for more publishers to research. I probably look like a crazy person when I do this. I pull out my phone and snap pictures of new publishers I haven't heard of so I can research them. I spend about 30 minutes doing this each time, and sometimes staff come up to me asking me if I need help. I wonder if they think I'm slightly odd as they watch me select book after book on the shelf, snapping pictures of publishers. I politely tell them I'm fine and continue on my search. It's a fun search, and I love doing it every time. When I'm finished I buy a coffee and find a comfortable place to sit and work, either sending off manuscripts, doing research on the publishers I had discovered, or working on book 2. I do this every weekend. For a long time I felt discouraged, thinking my book would never get published... but coming here, seeing all these wonderful books, it's a place of inspiration and encouragement. Even if I never find a publisher I still intend to self publish. So someday... it'll happen. The journey can be rough and discouraging though, especially when you receive that rejection letter saying your book is not a good fit for them. I've received over a handful of rejections, and sometimes I think it's worse when you never hear from a publisher or literary agent at all... It's easy to think it will never happen. But then I come here and my spirits are instantly lifted. It turns into a mission, one I won't give up. If you are an aspiring author, you shouldn't give up either. I recommend going to Barnes and Noble... it's the best book place in the world. :)